Jeep is too chicken to sell a truck like this “JTe,” which was built by custom-Jeep fab company Unofficial Use Only and revealed by my go-to Jeep parts company Quadratec at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week. I’m saying this because, as has been scientifically proven via years of fifth-grade gym-class conflict resolution studies, if you call someone too chicken to do something, they have to do it. There’s no other option. I’m hoping my strategy works, because Jeep just asked the public if it should build a two-door Gladiator, and now everyone’s hopes are up. Don’t ruin our dreams, Jeep. It’s not worth it.
I just got back from SEMA, where I briefly hung out with the folks at Quatratec, where I often buy Jeep parts when I can’t find them at the junkyard, on Facebook marketplace, or buried in my backyard somewhere. The company has on display a “JTe,” which was built by custom-Jeep shop Unofficial Use Only. I don’t know much about it or its founder Greg Henderson, but I am familiar with some of his SEMA builds, including the YJL:
And the XJ-nosed Jeep JK called “Project Pathkiller“:
And actually, I saw Henderson at an off-road event at Rocks & Valleys in Michigan around eight years ago. There, he was auctioning off his TJ Unlimited-Wrangler-based “Frankenbrute” Jeep build for charity:
Anyway, this year, Henderson brought a two-door Gladiator to SEMA, and Jeep has been posting about it on Instagram.
“Half the doors, all the fun,” writes the company in a caption. That’s right, Jeep. You get it!
The Instagram Stories post above is the primary subject of this article. “Are we missing something?” the caption reads. “Should we add a 2-door Gladiator to our lineup” reads a poll below.
First off, the answer to both questions is: Obviously! We all know that the four-door Gladiator looks a bit weird around that C-pillar, plus it’s too damn big to be great off-roading. Seriously, watch the Jeep truck try dragging its oversized arse over the Rubicon Trail; it ain’t pretty:
This two-door just looks right, and it’d be the most capable off-road pickup on the market, by far.
I hope Jeep realizes that just asking that question about building a regular-cab Gladiator is dangerous, and I’m praying it wasn’t just posted by a 21 year-old social media intern. These are hopes and dreams we’re dealing with, here, Jeep. If you’re going to ask that question, you better be serious!
Eighty-eight percent of people are onboard with a Henry VIII Gladiator (get it, Tudor?), though I can’t help but wonder what the heck is going on in the head of the folks in the 12 “no” bracket. Surely they’re just old-timers who don’t know how to work an “app,” right? I hope so; otherwise, they should seek counseling.
Anyway, a bit more about the SEMA truck. The “JTe” actually started out as a plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4Xe Rubicon; it got chopped up, and a stretched version of the factory Gladiator bed was mounted behind the cab. Here, let Quadratec break it down:
Built by renowned Jeep fabricator Greg Henderson at Unofficial Use Only, the JTe began life as a 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4Xe Rubicon, and was cut behind the front doors before a factory Gladiator truck bed and factory Mopar body replacement panels were added. The JTe is clad in custom “Quadratec” green paint by Red’s Bodyworks and has been equipped with top-of-the-line performance parts and recovery gear to transform it into a true, trail clean-up support vehicle.
[…]
…its bed is 10.5-inches longer than a standard Gladiator, which will provide plenty of space for Tread Lightly! trail project cleanups over the next two years.”
The Quadratec “JTe” is outfitted with a Lynx 2.5-inch Suspension Lift with adjustable control arms and Steersmarts steering components. It features bronze 17-inch Lynx TrailGunner wheels wrapped in 37-inch Nitto Recon Grappler tires for improved performance over rough terrain and upgraded Carnivore front and rear bumpers.
It looks great both inside and out. Here’s a closer look, via the Jeep parts supplier:
View this post on Instagram
The best part of the Jeep is on the inside — specifically on the doorcards. My friend Liam, a young engineer who may or may not have been involved in the development of the JL Wrangler’s interior door trim, saw a pain point in the JL ownership experience. Specifically, he and many others noticed that the netting on the doors very often got caught on an occupant’s boot as they disembarked from the vehicle. Even when that didn’t happen, storing even fairly-lightweight items in that netting stretched it out, and made it look janky.
So Liam’s manufactured some plastic netting replacements — little storage cubbies that don’t hold a ton, but look great and offer some flexibility. No, not the literal kind like the netting does, the figurative kind since the product has provisions that allow one to snap on accessories. Here, have a look at me shamelessly shilling for my friend:
View this post on Instagram
Anyway, the point here is: JL owners, support Liam by commenting on the Instagram post above if you’re tired of getting your boot caught in your door netting. And Jeep, just build the damn two-door. Offer it in green with a tan top and tan half-door uppers, and the world will be right. Don’t tease us like this.
I really like the XJ-nosed Project Pathkiller even though I’m not fond of the proportions of the new 4-door Jeeps. That one looks right to me. Maybe because it’s not Bro-ed out or angry.
I’m pretty sure Greg used to work at AEV. I think I remember talking with him when I installed the Nth Degree/AEV long arm kit on the TJ.
Some kind of extended cab would be better so I have space for my dog and/or luggage inside. But I already have a Gladiator so realistically won’t be trading for a 2 door anyway
Yes! But they simply must call it the “Scrambler,” and offer it with a manual and retro ’70s/80s graphics.
Thanks for speaking my mind!
This is the best looking new Jeep I’ve seen in ages!
I WOULD buy one. Seriously. My wife would kill me, but I would to replace my Z3. That’s what this is after all, a fun weekend runaround.
Eight of the nine cars I’ve ever owned have been two doors (and the only reason the ninth isn’t as well is I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for exactly what I wanted like the previous eight). This is better proportioned and has a longer, more useful bed versus the standard Gladiator. Absolutely I’m for it.
Unfortunately, I live in reality, and fear the 88% enthusiasm in poll form will translate to maybe ten percent in sales versus the four door. Still, if even a flimsy business case can be made, just do it.
Oh, my previous comment did go through before the Autopian’s Atari 400 crashed… and then my computer crashed. Disregard.
It’s crazy how useless the regular Gladiator bed is when they added nearly a foot to this one, and it’s still short.
Still, any movement in the right direction is to be applauded.
Bed size really doesn’t matter to Gladiator buyers, as well as a large number of pickup buyers in general. A lot of people buy them for no other reason than they want to drive a pickup and like the fact that they’re driving a larger vehicle often with 4wd as well. It explains the baffling number of four door short bed pickups that run around – they’re useful when you need to toss the kids’ bikes back there or maybe some bags of mulch, but you can’t haul much else in it (and even less if you’ve got one of those tonneau covers that doesn’t fold up all the way and leaves a foot of the bed covered near the cab). I spend a lot of time loading big objects into people’s vehicles, and the short bed pickup is the bane of my existence, because about six times a week some guy turns up to pick up something that his wife bought, and it just won’t fit, and he gets pissy that it won’t fit, then I have to give him some twine and make him sign a waiver stating that if it falls out it’s not my fault because they didn’t bring an appropriately large vehicle (or any fucking tiedowns. I drive a Miata and I have tiedowns in the car).
So many people who drive pickups would be so much better off in a similarly sized SUV, where you could fold the seats down and actually have a decently sized load area. About the only advantage I can see is maybe towing capacity is better on a pickup versus an SUV, but I have no actual figures or experience in this, just watching people drive off with poorly secured loads, or leaving and coming back with the Uhaul van they should’ve rented in the first place.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I might be interested in read the article below. It does a good job of explaining the reason auto manufacturer’s no longer make small pickup trucks and station wagons. The article could also apply to why they dropped sedans as well.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/10/how-cafe-killed-compact-trucks-and-station-wagons/
I did a double-take when I saw DT with a Bud Light in his hand.
I love it. Truly I do. I’m sure they’d sell dozens of them.
I’m pretty sure it simply is due to not enough space in the body shop for another variant…and we all know that four-door Jeeps far outsell the more-capable two-doors. In the case of the Wrangler, it doesn’t look ungainly at all…unlike the Gladiator.
All U.S auto manufacturer’s no longer make short wheelbase vehicles or limit their production because of CAFE regulations.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/10/how-cafe-killed-compact-trucks-and-station-wagons/
They should build a 2 door Jeep Gladiator but utilizing the 2 door four seat Jeep Wrangler body and WITH A 6FT BED at the minimum.
“Jeep is too chicken to sell a truck like this “JTe,””
There’s plenty of things Jeep is too chicken to do: build only AWD/4WD vehicles, give the US the Compass/Renegade 4XE models, do more off-roading events (like WRC, Baja, & Extreme E)……
Ram can now only justify a single cab truck for the HD’s (since the single cab/short bed 1500 Classic is being dropped), and if you can’t get the big boy market to buy a single cab/short bed Ram with a Hemi and 8 speed, you’re not gonna get people who’ll buy a 2 door Wrangler with a minivan motor (with or without a mild hybrid set-up), some turbo 4’s (with and without he MH and, of course, the actual hybrid), or the diesel that somehow the Gladiator is gonna keep until 2024.
If Jeep builds a 2-door truck, people want a Hemi with it. Kinda pointless at this point when we got the Hemi replacement coming out in full force over the next couple years.
“Jeep is too chicken to sell a truck like this “JTe,””
There’s plenty of things Jeep is too chicken to do: build only AWD/4WD vehicles, give the US the Compass/Renegade 4XE models, do more off-roading events (like WRC, Baja, & Extreme E)……
Ram can now only justify a single cab truck for the HD’s (since the single cab/short bed 1500 Classic is being dropped), and if you can’t get the big boy market to buy a single cab/short bed Ram with a Hemi and 8 speed, you’re not gonna get people who’ll buy a 2 door Wrangler with a minivan motor (with or without a mild hybrid set-up), some turbo 4’s (with and without he MH and, of course, the hybrid), or the diesel that somehow the Gladiator is gonna keep until 2024.
If Jeep builds a 2-door truck, people want a Hemi with it. Kinda pointless at this point when we got the Hemi replacement coming out in full force over the next couple years.
I like it a lot, but it would be even better if there was a bit of storage space behind those seats. Maybe 8 more inches? Just enough to drop in groceries when you’re not out on the trail or you’re making a quick run on a rainy day.
Eight of the nine cars I’ve ever owned have been two doors (and the only reason the ninth isn’t as well is I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for exactly what I wanted like the previous eight). This is better proportioned and has a longer, more useful bed versus the standard Gladiator. Absolutely I’m for it.
Unfortunately, I live in reality, and fear the 88% enthusiasm in poll form will translate to maybe ten percent in sales versus the four door. Still, if even a flimsy business case can be made, fucking do it.
I’m going to be honest and say that I would vote “no” on this vehicle. It is cool, but it is also kind of useless when you think about it.
Realistically, a JLU with the rear seats folded has about as much cargo space as the Gladiator’s bed (even this thing’s slightly longer bed), so why not just buy a JLU? In the rare event you need an open-air bed for large cargo, lower the top (or remove the hardtop) and there is your open-air bed. You can buy a liner to keep the interior clean, if you need to haul dirty items. A JLU has almost as much utility as a 2 door Gladiator, but with the option of rear seats or an enclosed cargo area, and with much more interior room for the driver and front seat passenger.
I would venture to say that, of the 88% of people who vote “yes” on this vehicle, maybe 0.01% of those would actually end up buying this vehicle.
You can’t fit a motorcycle in a JLU.
That’s a valid point. The 2 door Gladiator is a better choice for hauling motorcycles. However, I’ve seen a few JKUs and JLUs carrying motorcycles using hitch mounted carriers. I’ve seen a few hitch/carrier combinations for the JLU that are rated to carry up to a 300 lb. bike. While this limits what kind of motorcycle you can haul, it would be possible to haul a small street bike or medium size trail bike with a JLU. So while the JLU isn’t as good for hauling motorcycles, it is still possible, depending on what bike you want to take with you.
Again, the 2 door Gladiator is an extremely cool vehicle, but it has such a limited appeal that I don’t think it is worth making.
Small trucks have their use. I have a 90 Jeep Comanche (6 ft short bed), this summer I’ve used it to tow 25,000 lbs worth of scrap metal to the scrap yard, using the bed and a decent sized trailer. It has been used for countless runs to the hardware store to pick up items that didn’t fit in my parent’s Grand Cherokee. It was a great vehicle to take camping, worked wonderfully when my friend’s needed to take their dirty wet inner tubes back to camp site after a day of floating down a river. When I need to transport something in an enclosed vehicle, I take my BMW e36 M3 and fold down the rear seats.
The one distinct advantage of the enclosed Wrangler is that it is lockable storage. Thought a lockable bed cover would fix that. There is a good vehicle for most people’s needs. If we are being honest, the most practical vehicle 9 times out of 10 is a minivan. They have tremendous cargo room and seating configurations, are fairly efficient, and more affordable than most trucks and SUVs.
I would only approve of this if the thing was based off the 4door wrangle and the bed did not overhang like that.
Maybe if they had built one I would have bought one last year. Yes they should build it, and I think the 12% who said “No” are the Jeep product planers who probably also want to discontinue the 2 Door Wrangler because the 4 door’s out sell them.
My thought would be that they are afraid of stealing RAM sales.
If the Bronco is anything to learn from, it probably wouldn’t steal other pickup sales, instead it would expand the market to new buyers.
Let’s be honest, Jeep is like the American equivalent of Porsche. No matter what model Wrangler, trim, features, or otherwise, they just won’t depreciate even if the ride quality leaves a lot to be desired.
It was demand that said yes to the Gladiator and the OEM customization of Wranglers is off the charts. It’s not even a question as to whether Jeep should build it because people will buy it.
A thousand times yes.
I dunno, man. The market crossover for Jeep fans Vs trail riders is pretty high, but the actual percentage that take new Jeeps out on trails is kinda weak. Not sure pointing out how awesome it would be on a trail is going to make them want to make one.
Considering how well the Maverick and Ranger are selling, does Jeep need to fight against the inevitable comparisons to those beasts (in sales figures, at least) while also diluting their brand more by selling another Wrangler with a modified bed (cause you know that’s what its gonna be)
As an enthusiast, I’d love to own a 2023 or 2024 model in 15-20 years, do hoodrat shit with it and my hoodrat friends out in the woods of Florida, but it would be a beat up one I wouldn’t care about and it would also be after I couldn’t find something else to go trail riding in.
As a Jeep Comanche owner, I’d love to have one of these to use as my winter beater so I don’t have to worry about my Comanche rusting away.
Anyone who says no should have to run the gauntlet.
It’s beautiful. It’s compact! It’s useful! It’s a hybrid. If they built it, I would buy it, immediately. Bonus points if they could offer some subaru brat style jumpseats for the bed, too.
Don’t care about Gladiators, but I really would spend my actual money on a 2 door 392.
It looks amazing and they should absolutely build one, preferably with a slightly extended cab since single cabs tend to force you into a bolt upright seating position.
Not true. I have a ’95 S10 ZR2 2 door regular cab short bed pickup and the driving seat angle is the same as in my wrangler. The seat even reclines slightly before contacting the back of the cab. But an extended cab version would be just as cool.